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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — in football
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — boats
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. content — happy
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — a thrill

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