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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — a match
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. game — wild animals

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