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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a city
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — electricity

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