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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 116 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: press · capital · calf · root · kid · ball · net · mate

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. net — after costs
  3. root — of a word
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a dance
  8. root — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mate — to breed
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. press — to push
  21. root — the cause
  22. net — in sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kid — to tease

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