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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
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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: cap · spring · can · charge · capital · arm · date · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — a price
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spring — the season
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — in control
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — electricity
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — money
  24. calf — a young animal

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