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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. content — the amount
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — a practice
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — the tool
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to sink
  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