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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. capital — a city
  4. scale — in music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stem — to come from
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — of the year
  12. toast — bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. roll — a list
  23. capital — money
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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