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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: net · date · patient · capital · fan · leaves · rule · board

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. capital — a city
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. net — after costs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — money
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rule — to rule out

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