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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: can · mug · capital · kid · stock · game · racket · patient

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. game — wild animals
  5. kid — to tease
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — shares
  8. mug — a cup
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — child
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  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