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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: firm · mine · patient · chest · rule · club · fine · bowl

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — decided
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. firm — steady
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — a company
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — a box
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fine — high quality

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