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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. capital — a city
  5. board — to get on
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — money
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — low music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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