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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: ball · foot · sharp · net · calf · rash · coach · capital

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. capital — a city
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rash — a series

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