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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: fine · capital · club · plane · patient · bark · press · row

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — all right
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. capital — money
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bark — to shout
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. capital — a city
  24. plane — a tool

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