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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. capital — a city
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. staff — a stick
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — to fit

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