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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · trunk · net · patient · ball · stick · present · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — the amount
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — happy
  20. ball — a great time
  21. row — to paddle
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — there

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