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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — steady
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. firm — decided
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — a company
  24. net — in sport

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