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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · game · patient · toast · rock · cue · file · spell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spell — a short time
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — a signal
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — a stone
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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