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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. capital — a city
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — after costs
  21. capital — money
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — for catching
  24. chip — for betting

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