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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. race — a contest
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mate — a partner
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mate — to breed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. scale — for weighing
  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