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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a line of people
  3. staff — a stick
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. firm — decided
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to dunk

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