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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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: capital · calf · cabinet · present · bay · bowl · mine · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. content — happy
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — a gift
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — of the leg

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