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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 · patient · present · game · fine · jam · kid · lie

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fine — all right
  9. kid — to tease
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. kid — child
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — steady
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fine — a penalty
  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