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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. ground — a position
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — a tin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. firm — a company

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