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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 120 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 · content · patient · rule · arm · kid · pitcher · key

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. key — for a lock
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — a law
  16. firm — steady
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rule — government
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — in music
  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