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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — rain
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fine — high quality
  24. patient — a sick person

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