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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: capital · rash · calf · field · tube · staff · racket · perch

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — a stick
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — farmland
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — a city
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — a container
  19. field — for sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. field — a subject
  24. rash — a series

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