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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. content — happy
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. swing — music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mouse — for a computer

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