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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pound — a weight
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — money

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