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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: plane · cap · patient · firm · mark · pitcher · fork · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mark — a trace
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — steady
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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