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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: wound · vault · root · patient · object · bass · pop · capital

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — money
  17. root — of a word
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. capital — a city
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — music
  24. bass — low music

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