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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 120 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 · club · cap · pass · band · stick · capital · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. capital — a city
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — for golf
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a ring
  24. pass — to succeed

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