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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — music
  14. capital — money
  15. branch — a division
  16. capital — a city
  17. pop — to visit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. plane — an aircraft

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