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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — a city
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. capital — money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — for sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — farmland

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