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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. capital — a city

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