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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 120 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: net · perch · tear · temple · rash · patient · game · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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