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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. capital — money
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. capital — a city
  24. land — ground

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