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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. capital — money
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a path
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — a trail

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