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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — the amount
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. land — to come down
  11. sharp — clever
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. content — happy

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