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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. capital — a city
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. present — the time now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — there
  12. capital — money
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — electric
  17. drill — army training
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. can — to be able to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — a tin

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