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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 · capital · fall · key · staff · toast · swing · rule

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. 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. fall — to drop
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. swing — in golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — the most important part
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. swing — to play on
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. capital — money
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — a city
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. 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