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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — to wash
  4. capital — money
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ground — crushed
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. capital — a city
  20. ground — the earth
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a line
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ground — a position

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