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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — humankind
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a word
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. race — a contest
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — the arms race
  24. content — videos and posts

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