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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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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: last · race · bay · stick · capital · patient · bank · degree

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. degree — an amount
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. degree — temperature
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a city
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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