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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a city
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — magic

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