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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — magic
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — letters
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — steady
  14. current — electric
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — happening now
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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