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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 120 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.

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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: chip · pit · root · hand · bear · patient · capital · can

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pit — a hole
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a city
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. root — of a word
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — in a race
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — part of the body

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