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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a city
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bore — gave birth

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