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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — hasty
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — completely
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — a series
  16. track — to keep track
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. capital — a city
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — a big deal

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