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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 · scale · pit · patient · capital · bound · face · rash

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bound — certain
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — a series
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — to confront
  10. scale — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. capital — a city
  18. rash — hasty
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. can — to be able to
  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