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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.

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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: rest · bear · mine · capital · patient · fine · fork · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a city
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — a break

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