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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · row · can · object · kick · content · capital · scale

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — to be able to
  5. object — a thing
  6. row — a line
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. content — happy
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. content — the amount
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. capital — money
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — to protest
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — with a leg
  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