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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: nail · patient · pit · tube · rule · firm · club · ground

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — the underground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. club — for golf
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — a company
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — a hole
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — a container
  20. club — a group
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rule — a law

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