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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — to protest
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. capital — money
  10. object — an aim
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a city
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — a law
  24. object — a thing

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