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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: rash · capital · cap · toast · calf · chip · court · scale

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. court — for sport
  6. capital — a city
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — for betting
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rash — hasty
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — money
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — a series
  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