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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: kick · capital · arm · ball · rash · bore · degree · object

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. object — a thing
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kick — in football
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ball — a dance
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — an aim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — a series
  19. degree — an amount
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — a city
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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