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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. capital — money
  3. spell — magic
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mug — a face
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — to rob
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a cup
  21. race — a contest
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. race — humankind

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