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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — completely
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. game — wild animals
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. capital — a city
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — in a tire

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