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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — completely
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. capital — money
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — the animal

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