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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: mouse · date · band · patient · perch · capital · mug · row

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a ring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. perch — the fish
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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