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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a city
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. capital — money
  22. object — a thing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — an aim

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