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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — to be able to
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — for digging
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. club — a group

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