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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — a cup
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. capital — money

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