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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: patient · band · pitch · straw · spring · saw · deal · firm

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — steady
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. firm — decided
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — completely
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spring — the season
  24. firm — a company

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