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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. last — final
  5. capital — a city
  6. march — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. last — finally
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — of ice
  19. capital — money
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — happening now
  24. kick — a thrill

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