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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. land — ground
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. capital — a city
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for dancing
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. craft — boats
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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