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

Word bank: firm · file · fork · deal · present · patient

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. present — the time now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a document
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — decided
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a line of people
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. present — there
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. firm — steady

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