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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — a signal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. deal — to handle
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — to eat with

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