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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: can · current · ball · saw · kid · patient · chair · firm

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kid — to tease
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — child

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