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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: patient · stick · ball · key · wind · content · cue · suit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — a hint
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — happy
  24. wind — to turn a key

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