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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · tube · lie · cue · firm · patient · mug · court

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — steady
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a signal
  8. content — the amount
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mug — a face
  14. firm — decided
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — to rob
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — a container
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — for pool

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