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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. capital — money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — a contest

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