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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 · leaves · fork · toast · march · fine · pop · content

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. march — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. march — the month
  24. pop — music

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