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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.

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: can · kick · object · board · land · file · capital · patient

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. file — a tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — a city
  10. land — ground
  11. file — a document
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. object — an aim
  16. board — to get on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. land — to come down
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — in football
  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