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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. board — to get on
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a city
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. deal — to handle

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