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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — a thing
  6. capital — money
  7. field — farmland
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — for sport
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. object — an aim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. pit — a hole

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