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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — a friend

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