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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: mate · capital · net · bear · current · patient · cue · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. chest — a box
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. chest — of your body

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