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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kid — to tease
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. race — humankind
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. capital — a city
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. capital — money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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