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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: arm · racket · press · dip · capital · fork · patient · wax

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. capital — money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. press — to push

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