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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: capital · calf · present · ground · bay · race

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — a city
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — the earth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ground — a position
  14. race — humankind
  15. capital — money
  16. present — there
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — a contest

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