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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: race · capital · bore · patient · racket · current · wound · rest

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — of water
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. race — a contest
  7. wound — an injury
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — happening now
  13. capital — a city
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — money
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — humankind
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — to tire
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — what's left

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