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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 116 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: dip · calf · capital · fork · pit · rush · squash · tear

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. capital — a city
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tear — to rip

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