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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · kick · current · patient · chair · pitcher · track · firm

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — a box
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. firm — steady
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — a company
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — in football
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — of water

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