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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — to hurry
  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