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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: lie · racket · kick · capital · pound · calf

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — money
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. lie — an untruth

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