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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: can · capital · vault · calf · perch · date · jam · drill

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — army training
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. date — the fruit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a city
  21. vault — a safe
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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