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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — crushed
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. capital — money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. capital — a big letter

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