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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: sharp · can · patient · cap · foot · bat · fork · firm

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — decided
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — a measure
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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