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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — a subject
  13. firm — a company
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — for sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — decided
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — a big letter

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