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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.

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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: bay · calf · ball · ruler · mouse · capital · fine · cold

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — a monarch

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