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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — a series
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kick — in football
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — money
  19. present — there
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. present — the time now
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rash — on the skin

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