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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. march — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — to go on
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. last — finally
  21. court — of law
  22. last — final
  23. snap — to click
  24. row — a quarrel

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