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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: ground · fan · track · bulb · rock · coach · patient · capital

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — the earth

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