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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · spell · bore · rash · pitch · patient · capital · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. capital — a city
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  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