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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. capital — money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rash — a series
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. row — a line
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. capital — a city
  20. degree — temperature
  21. suit — clothes
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — a lid

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