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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. safe — out of danger

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