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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: patient · mark · rock · capital · date · bore · can · pop

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. rock — a stone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to drill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pop — soda
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. date — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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