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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cell — a phone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — completely
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — on a finger

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