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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — to get on
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — to be able to

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