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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
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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: patient · capital · lie · safe · content · field · coach · drill

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — money
  6. field — farmland
  7. content — happy
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. content — the amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — a practice

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