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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: wound · calf · pit · tube · capital · pitcher · dip · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pit — in a race
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — a sauce

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