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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. band — a music group
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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