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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: craft · firm · patient · kid · ruler · mine · dip · club

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — steady
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kid — to tease
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — boats

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