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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — happy
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — boats
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — clothes
  12. content — the amount
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — of the year
  24. suit — in cards

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