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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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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: race · deal · ground · toast · patient · mark · mate · hand

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. ground — the earth
  3. toast — bread
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. race — a contest
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ground — a position
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — crushed
  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