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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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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: fine · sharp · pit · capital · deal · calf · squash · bay

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — clever
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — money
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. deal — an agreement

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