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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — money
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. drill — the tool
  24. net — for catching

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