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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: patient · bulb · bay · cell · drill · capital

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. capital — money
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. capital — a city
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — for light
  18. capital — a big letter

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