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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 116 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: rest · suit · mouse · ground · capital · patient · cue · pass

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. capital — money
  19. ground — the earth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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