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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 116 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. firm — a company
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — of the year
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — steady
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

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