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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. capital — a city
  13. suit — clothes
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — a path

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