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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: pit · capital · sharp · root · fork · drill · tube · mug

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. drill — army training
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a hole
  12. capital — a city
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tube — the underground
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — a container
  23. root — the cause
  24. fork — in a road

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