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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · tear · capital · bear · scale · calf

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a city
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing

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