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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: capital · mug · field · hide · calf · wake · patient · net

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — a trail
  5. field — for sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — in sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — money
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — after costs
  14. field — farmland
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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