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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: racket · patient · pitcher · object · jam · drill · firm · content

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. firm — steady
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — decided
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. object — an aim
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — a company
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — the tool

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