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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
468
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: racket · calf · patient · bass · land · suit · face · capital

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. capital — money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — a country
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — to come down
  17. capital — a city
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — to point toward

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