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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: perch · suit · capital · deal · hide · chair · patient · toast

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. toast — bread
  13. suit — clothes
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a leader
  17. capital — money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — a city
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. perch — for a bird

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