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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — money
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a signal
  10. capital — a city
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. cue — a hint
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. game — wild animals
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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