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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. capital — a city
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — army training
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — a sick person

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