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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 120 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: bay · rash · key · calf · capital · pop · fan · squash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. key — in music
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — a series
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  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