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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — clothes
  9. content — the amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — from a university
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — in cards
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — of a tree

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