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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · pitcher · pound · capital · object · prune · stem

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. capital — money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. capital — a big letter

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