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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: stand · spell · straw · bore · fork · capital · mug · pitcher

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — to tire
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mug — a cup

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