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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: row · season · nail · ground · charge · mouse · capital · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — of the year
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — a price
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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