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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
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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: ball · foot · shower · date · patient · content · bore · fork

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. shower — to wash
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. shower — rain
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fork — in a road
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a dance
  24. foot — a measure

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