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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — a match
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — a stick
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. capital — a city

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