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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
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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: bore · date · pitcher · hand · mug · net · capital · cabinet

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — in sport
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — help
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — a city
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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