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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
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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 · jam · pitch · mouse · patient · drill · pitcher · capital

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. mug — a cup
  2. capital — a city
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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