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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: capital · mug · bay · spring · patient · track · rock · row

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. capital — money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. row — a line
  14. spring — the season
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. capital — a city
  22. track — a song
  23. rock — music
  24. patient — a sick person

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