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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — in sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — for catching
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. content — the amount
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — to bear
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. stand — on your feet

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