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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. firm — decided
  2. capital — money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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