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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — the fruit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. capital — a city
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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