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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: calf · racket · club · capital · bore · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. capital — money
  3. bore — to drill
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — a leader
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — for tennis

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