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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — ground
  3. content — happy
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — the amount
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fork — in a road
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — a country

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