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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · patient · capital · ruler · squash · pass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. capital — a city

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