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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — a measure
  8. capital — money
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mug — to rob
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. club — for dancing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — in a race
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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