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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
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: capital · patient · scale · press · root · court · mouse · bank

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. court — of law
  7. root — of a word
  8. capital — money
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — in music
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a plant
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — newspapers

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