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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — for catching
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — a hat
  21. craft — a skill
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — boats

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