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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — a stone
  4. march — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — completely
  12. capital — money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. capital — a city
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rock — music

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