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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — a trainer

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