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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. capital — a city
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — tied together

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