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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — the amount
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — happy
  13. face — to confront
  14. court — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to point toward
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a face
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. face — part of the head
  24. court — of a king

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