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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. object — an aim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — money
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — a list
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — a thing
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — to protest
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. staff — employees

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