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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: mug · court · jam · staff · cap · saw · patient · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. court — of a king
  9. content — happy
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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