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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 116 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
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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: mark · content · squash · can · cap · patient · present · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — happy
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cap — of ice
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — there
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — a lid
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — the time now
  24. mark — a grade

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