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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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