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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: bore · content · coach · scale · court · patient · mark · jam

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of a king
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. court — of law
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to tire
  24. scale — in music

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