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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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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: pit · fine · lean · mine · patient · firm · spell · bass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. firm — steady
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. firm — decided
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lean — to bend
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — magic

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