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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. present — a gift
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — to tire
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chair — a leader

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