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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. craft — boats
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — a skill

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