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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: patient · object · roll · can · bay · content · nail · cue

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — happy
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. roll — a list
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — the amount
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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