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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · pitcher · bulb · cue · patient · wound · capital · key

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cue — a signal
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — the season

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