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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: field · rock · capital · ground · shower · safe · bay · patient

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. capital — money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a city
  14. field — farmland
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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