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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: pop · pass · patient · row · temple · bear · deal · capital

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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