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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 · bound · degree · kid · pop · fan · ruler · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — music
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. degree — temperature
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — to visit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — tied together

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