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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. march — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — a city
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — a path
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to drill

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