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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · chair · staff · leaves · roll · capital · patient · pitcher

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — a city
  5. roll — a cake
  6. staff — a stick
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — an aim
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — a thing
  18. roll — a list
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — to go away

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