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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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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: foot · bay · patient · rush · mine · game · bore · firm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a match
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — a company
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — steady

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