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

Word bank: net · stand · row · content · temple · mate · kid · patient

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kid — child
  4. net — in sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — a partner
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. row — to paddle
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a line
  22. kid — to tease
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. content — happy

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