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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · bound · stand · capital · patient · club · stem · mug

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — to come from
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — a face
  11. club — for golf
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a city
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. club — for dancing

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