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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kid — child
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a city
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rock — music
  17. row — a line
  18. current — electric
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kid — to tease

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