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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — money
  3. tube — a container
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stock — shares
  7. bank — for money
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — goods
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — of a river
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — to be able to

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