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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. content — the amount
  6. mug — a face
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a cup
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — a practice
  11. content — happy
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — a trainer

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