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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — money
  8. suit — clothes
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. capital — a city
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — in cards

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