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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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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: pop · cap · last · mark · calf · sharp · roll · bay

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — soda
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. last — to go on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. roll — a list
  19. last — final
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. roll — a cake
  24. calf — a young animal

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