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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
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: foot · safe · drill · patient · rock · fine · cue · capital

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — army training
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — a stone

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