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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bass — low music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — a group
  15. content — the amount
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for golf
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. scale — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — size or range

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