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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — in cards
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. roll — a list
  9. file — a document
  10. toast — bread
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a hat
  16. capital — a city
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. suit — clothes

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