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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. key — for a lock
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — in music
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — a subject
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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