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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: current · bark · capital · temple · patient · pound · saw · coach

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — a city
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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