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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: capital · ball · patient · wake · root · craft · mate · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a city
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. root — the cause
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mate — a friend
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — to breed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mate — a partner
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. root — of a word
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ball — a great time

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