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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rock — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — a city

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