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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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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 · stand · cap · fine · content · pop · dip · branch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. content — happy
  3. pop — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — on your feet

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