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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. capital — a city
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. staff — employees
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — ground

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