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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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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: calf · capital · fork · kick · club · roll

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — a group
  4. roll — a list
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. roll — a cake
  18. capital — a big letter

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