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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. capital — money
  3. charge — in control
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — to crush
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pass — a permit
  18. capital — a city
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — electricity

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