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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: key · fan · kid · fork · mouse · content · patient · stick

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. content — the amount
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fork — in a road
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mouse — the animal

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