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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: wave · rash · pop · net · deal · capital · patient · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. net — for catching
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — to visit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pop — soda
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — a line
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pop — music
  21. capital — a city
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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