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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — a lid
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a partner
  18. capital — money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mate — a friend

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