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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.

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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: calf · object · temple · foot · fan · capital · pop · bass

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. object — a thing
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pop — music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — low music
  24. capital — money

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