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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chair — a leader
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — to crush
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. capital — a city
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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