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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.

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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: scale · club · bay · mark · bore · tear · calf · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bore — to drill
  16. club — for golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — money
  23. club — a group
  24. capital — a city

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