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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. content — happy
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — to bear
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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