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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: capital · coach · patient · bat · current · perch · bowl · club

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — for golf
  12. capital — money
  13. current — of water
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bat — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. capital — a city
  24. bowl — to roll

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