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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: net · capital · season · calf · rock · chest · mouse · kick

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — music
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. capital — a city
  12. chest — a box
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — for catching
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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