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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: fine · kick · game · shower · bank · calf · cap · capital

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — rain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cap — of ice
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. capital — money
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — to wash
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a lid

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