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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · patient · racket · cap · bass · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bass — the fish
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — of ice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — to push
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument

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