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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — happening now
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — electric
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. capital — a city
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — of water
  21. capital — money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. safe — out of danger

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