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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: calf · stem · drill · board · patient · present · bank · capital

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — there
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — to get on
  24. calf — a young animal

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