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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: rash · lie · sharp · pitcher · calf · present · capital · racket

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — a series
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. present — there
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — hasty

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