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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — the amount
  17. pop — soda
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a path
  21. rash — hasty
  22. content — happy
  23. track — a song
  24. content — videos and posts

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