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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: degree · drill · rock · mouse · rash · capital · patient · scale

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a city
  3. scale — in music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. degree — temperature
  18. capital — money
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — a practice

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