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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: firm · patient · game · present · nail · ruler · sharp · content

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — decided
  5. present — there
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — wild animals
  18. firm — steady
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — clever
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — with an edge

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