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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — low music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cap — a hat
  16. capital — money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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