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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 124 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — happening now
  8. cell — a phone
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — an aim
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — of water
  16. object — a thing
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. object — to protest
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — an amount
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — in biology
  24. prune — to trim

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