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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rush — hurry
  23. capital — money
  24. rule — government

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