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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. capital — a city
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — to protest
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. capital — money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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