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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.

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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: snap · firm · capital · track · patient · object · degree · mark

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — an aim
  5. degree — an amount
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a grade
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. firm — decided
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — a city
  16. degree — from a university
  17. firm — a company
  18. capital — money
  19. degree — temperature
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. object — a thing
  23. firm — steady
  24. track — a path

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