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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — the amount
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — happy
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — in music
  22. present — there
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. present — a gift

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