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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — a committee
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kick — in football
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a great time
  17. board — to get on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — a city
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kick — a thrill

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