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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · craft · patient · current · cap · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — a skill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — boats
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. firm — steady
  18. cap — of ice

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