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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: coach · capital · root · bear · pitcher · lean · patient · rule

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. capital — money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to bend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. lean — thin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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