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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — a signal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — for pool
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a city
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — child

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