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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a city
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chip — for betting
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. chip — to eat
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chair — a leader

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