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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — a city
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — the underground
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — goods
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — money
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. rule — a law
  24. tube — a container

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