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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — a city

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