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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.

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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: present · bear · content · ruler · ground · rock · capital · patient

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — money
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. content — happy
  15. rock — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a city

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