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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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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: temple · racket · deal · capital · calf · bulb · suit · kick

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kick — in football
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — to handle
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — a young animal
  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