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

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. 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. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cue — a hint
  4. firm — decided
  5. content — the amount
  6. cue — for pool
  7. swing — music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cell — in biology
  23. drill — army training
  24. 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