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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. kick — in football
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — money
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. safe — out of danger

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