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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 · fine · content · patient · suit · sharp · stock · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. content — happy
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. swing — in golf
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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