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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 · calf · chest · capital · charge · racket · bound · safe

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a city
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — a price
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bound — certain
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a song
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. track — a path

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