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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. staff — employees
  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