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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — a face
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. chip — for betting
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — all right
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a cup
  17. perch — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mug — to rob
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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