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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 124 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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. capital — a city
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. capital — money
  13. ball — a great time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — certain
  24. capital — a big letter

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