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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: patient · ball · coach · bulb · arm · cell · content · date

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a great time
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — for light
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — happy
  22. date — the fruit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cell — in biology

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