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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
468
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: track · sharp · capital · jam · bear · calf · club · fall

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. club — a group
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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