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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
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: wound · stem · band · capital · scale · current · patient · racket

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. scale — size or range
  3. capital — money
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — electric
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a music group
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. capital — a big letter

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