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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cap — a lid
  3. capital — money
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — for sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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