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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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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 · foot · rule · mate · capital · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. capital — money
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. capital — a city
  18. mate — a friend

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