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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 120 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: mug · fan · wake · game · patient · pitch · content · can

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — the amount
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — videos and posts

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