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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — an aim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a city
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — a song
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — a permit

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