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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. net — after costs
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — to be able to
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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