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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pop — music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — to protest
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. object — an aim
  14. capital — money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. capital — a city
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — a thing
  24. pound — a weight

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