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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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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: racket · capital · patient · bowl · press · rule · nail · foot

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — money
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — a city
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — a sick person

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