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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. can — to be able to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — a container
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mate — a friend
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — a trainer

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