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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: patient · degree · cell · rock · mouse · jam · cap · foot

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cell — a phone
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. patient — a sick person

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