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

Word bank: patient · band · rule · cap · chair · pass

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — of ice
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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