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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.

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: can · staff · bore · wound · racket · capital · fork · dip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — money
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to tire
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wound — an injury
  11. capital — a city
  12. fork — in a road
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — for tennis

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