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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: cue · cabinet · fork · capital · land · dip · calf · spring

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — the season
  14. cue — for pool
  15. capital — a city
  16. fork — in a road
  17. capital — money
  18. land — ground
  19. spring — a coil
  20. land — a country
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. calf — of the leg

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