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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 · can · drill · capital · bore · jam · board · fall

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. drill — army training
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a city
  8. drill — a practice
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fall — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — the tool
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to drill
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. jam — a tight spot

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