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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: foot · capital · drill · can · bulb · fan · content · patient

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. capital — a city
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — the amount
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — money
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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