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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.

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: mug · leaves · capital · ball · patient · net

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — for catching
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. capital — a city
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. capital — money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — in sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — after costs
  18. capital — a big letter

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