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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 116 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: mug · kick · net · calf · rest · capital · scale · bound

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kick — in football
  6. net — after costs
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bound — certain
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — for catching
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a big letter

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