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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.

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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: patient · can · prune · sharp · board · key · content · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. content — the amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — exactly

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