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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. game — wild animals
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — a container
  19. capital — a city
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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