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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: stand · wind · calf · capital · net · shower · board · racket

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — money
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — to bear
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — rain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — a loud noise

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