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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. spell — letters
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — a thing
  7. land — a country
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — ground
  20. rule — government
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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