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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — of water
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — there
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — to shout

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