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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · file · present · patient · toast · game · cap · mug

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — a gift
  10. game — a match
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. toast — bread
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — steady
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mug — a face
  19. present — there
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. present — the time now
  24. patient — a sick person

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