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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.

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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: mug · land · patient · mouse · bank · can · present · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. present — a gift
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — there
  18. land — to come down
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mouse — the animal

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