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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 116 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: cap · deal · race · calf · capital · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. object — an aim
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. race — the arms race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. object — to protest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. race — humankind

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