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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. band — a ring
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. capital — a city
  14. band — a music group
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — certain
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. suit — in cards

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