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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — completely
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. object — to protest
  22. rush — hurry
  23. object — a thing
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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