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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: capital · track · hide · bear · dip · date · staff · craft

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a song
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — boats
  12. track — a path
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — money

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