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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 120 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: tear · patient · capital · current · pass · cap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — a hat
  5. capital — money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. capital — a city
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tear — from crying

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