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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bass — low music
  9. land — a country
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — the fish
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — an agreement

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