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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: key · ball · calf · saw · capital · deal

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. capital — money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. key — for a lock

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