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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · suit · pitcher · firm · content · wound · patient · rest

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — the amount
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — clothes
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

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