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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — electric
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — a stone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitch — completely
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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