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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — all right
  5. capital — a city
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — boats
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — a measure
  19. capital — money
  20. kid — child
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a skill

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