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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. capital — a city
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ground — the earth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — crushed

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