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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
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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: coach · capital · bass · spell · patient · cap · temple · fan

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. capital — money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — letters
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — a city

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