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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: cap · capital · jam · rule · bay · calf · court · plane

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. plane — a tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rule — a law
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — of ice
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — government

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