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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — of the year
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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