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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: swing · capital · sharp · patient · cap · rock · mark · bulb

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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