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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. capital — a city
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — a hat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — money
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fine — all right

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