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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
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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: patient · net · ball · sharp · stand · deal · object · wind

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — a thing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ball — a great time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. net — after costs
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. net — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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