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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — rain
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. drill — army training
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spring — a coil
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — to wash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — the season
  23. capital — a city
  24. object — an aim

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