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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. current — electric
  10. content — happy
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — to handle
  16. content — the amount
  17. current — happening now
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — an agreement

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