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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — help
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — money

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