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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — magic
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — of the leg

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