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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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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: pitcher · patient · chest · race · jam · capital · mouse · wake

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. capital — money
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — humankind
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chest — of your body
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chest — of your body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — a jug

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