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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mug — a face
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — a price
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. net — in sport

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