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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: capital · fine · race · patient · land · bound · plane · toast

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — ground
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — a city
  12. race — a contest
  13. capital — money
  14. land — a country
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fine — all right
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bound — certain
  24. fine — a penalty

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