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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: firm · kid · mark · patient · toast · last · pit · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pit — in a race
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mark — a grade
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — finally
  18. firm — a company
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — final

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