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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: ground · fine · capital · patient · pass · nail · can · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a city
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — a permit
  24. nail — on a finger

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