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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.

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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: foot · capital · deal · racket · calf · march · cue · trunk

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — a city
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. deal — to handle
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. march — music

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