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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · pitcher · bear · patient · ball · wound · capital · stick

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — money
  18. ball — a dance
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a round shape

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