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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: calf · press · rush · court · wake · capital · cue · deal

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. court — of law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — for pool
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — a big deal

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