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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. capital — money
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a tool
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. file — a document
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — to breed
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. capital — a city
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — a big letter

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