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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: file · present · patient · bear · fine · jam · content · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — happy
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — the amount
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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