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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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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. firm — decided
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — in a road
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. capital — a city
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — money
  24. track — to keep track

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