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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: bass · patient · ground · bank · mark · spell · firm · capital

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bass — low music
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — the earth
  10. capital — money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — a position
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for 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