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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: cap · patient · saw · pop · rock · fall · date · can

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a lid
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fall — the season
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — the tool
  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