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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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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: bark · race · racket · patient · bore · capital

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — to drill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — humankind
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. race — a contest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — to shout
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis

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