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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: cell · land · calf · capital · patient · bay · object · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. land — a country
  3. object — a thing
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — to protest
  7. cell — in biology
  8. capital — a city
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mug — a face
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cell — a phone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. calf — a young animal

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