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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · firm · stick · dip · court · patient · game · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — of a king
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — decided
  24. game — a match

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