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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.

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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: calf · capital · suit · tube · root · patient · bowl · chest

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — the cause
  4. capital — money
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — of a word
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chest — a box
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. capital — a city
  24. chest — of your 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