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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. object — an aim
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — to drill
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bore — gave birth

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