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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. game — a match
  6. chair — a leader
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — a signal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com