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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.

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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: plane · present · court · patient · chip · mine · arm · capital

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — a city
  7. plane — a tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — there
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. capital — money
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — a gift
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. court — of a king
  22. present — the time now
  23. court — for sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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