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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: fork · patient · current · mug · drill · ruler · pop · capital

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — happening now
  3. drill — army training
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — electric
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. drill — a practice
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — soda
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — in a road
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mug — a cup

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