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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: firm · jam · fall · track · ball · patient · content · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. firm — steady
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — decided
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. ball — a dance
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — to drop
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — a song

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