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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — all right
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. capital — money
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fine — high quality
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. capital — a city
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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