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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.

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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: stand · wind · patient · capital · pit · dip

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pit — in a race

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