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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. firm — decided
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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