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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. current — electric
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. current — of water

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