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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. track — a path
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — money

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