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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 · board · race · plane · bear · ball · bat · capital

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — to get on
  14. capital — a city
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. capital — money

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