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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for golf
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rush — to hurry

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