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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. hand — help
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. staff — a stick
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hand — in cards
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — an amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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