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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. net — after costs
  17. craft — boats
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. content — the amount
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. net — for catching
  24. craft — a handicraft

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