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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: bore · perch · ball · patient · coach · fall · rule · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. capital — money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rule — government
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a great time
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fall — to drop

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