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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: date · bore · pitcher · firm · bowl · can · cabinet · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — steady
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. date — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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