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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — low music
  8. capital — a city
  9. mark — a grade
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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