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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: mate · firm · stick · patient · game · saw · march · squash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — to breed
  12. firm — a company
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — decided
  16. march — the month
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a match
  20. march — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. squash — the vegetable

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