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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: object · capital · bay · calf · land · stock · kid · dip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. object — to protest
  9. land — a country
  10. stock — shares
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — ground
  14. object — a thing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. object — an aim
  21. capital — a city
  22. kid — to tease
  23. capital — money
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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