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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 120 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: kick · calf · capital · bowl · current · ball · band · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. current — happening now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — electric
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ball — a great time
  23. band — a ring
  24. season — of the year

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