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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 116 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: content · patient · current · cold · lie · swing · pop · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — not warm
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. content — the amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. cold — an illness
  23. swing — to play on
  24. content — happy

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