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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: stick · row · calf · pound · land · mouse · leaves · capital

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. row — to paddle
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a line
  24. capital — a city

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