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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — in music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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