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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: can · capital · object · patient · cabinet · march · roll · ball

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. object — to protest
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — money
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — an aim
  24. capital — a big letter

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