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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: capital · bound · patient · wake · bowl · press

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — certain
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — a trail
  7. capital — money
  8. bound — tied together
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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