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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: content · patient · current · bowl · kid · racket · safe · coach

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — happy
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. current — of water
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — happening now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — the amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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