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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
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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 · patient · branch · calf · pitcher · pit · cabinet · capital

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — final
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — a division
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — money
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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