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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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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: capital · pound · spring · club · calf · nail · rash · pit

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. spring — of water
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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