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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — a trail
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. current — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. last — finally
  19. cap — of ice
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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