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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: ball · mug · file · fine · content · toast · squash · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fine — all right
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. file — a line of people
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — the amount
  19. file — a document
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a dance
  22. toast — bread
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — high quality

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