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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: mate · patient · craft · content · ball · jam · bowl · cabinet

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mate — to breed
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a great time
  19. content — the amount
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a friend
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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