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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: cue · capital · cap · pit · branch · pitcher · dip · patient

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. branch — a division
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — to sink
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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