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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kid — child
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. capital — a city
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — to be able to

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