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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 · chest · last · bound · board · scale · capital · foot

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chest — a box
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chest — of your body
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. last — final

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