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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: patient · fine · march · present · nail · court · content · cap

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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. march — the month
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — of ice
  7. march — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — the month
  13. court — for sport
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — the amount
  24. cap — a hat

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