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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. capital — a city
  22. land — to come down
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bore — to drill

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