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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — low music
  7. court — for sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — a stone
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of law
  18. content — happy
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  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