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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 116 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: cap · rash · capital · bore · racket · safe · track · patient

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rash — a series
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. capital — money
  21. cap — a lid
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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