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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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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: sharp · lash · march · mark · ground · patient · jam · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a trace
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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