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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: ruler · mate · can · calf · cold · capital · scale · track

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. track — a song
  3. cold — not warm
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — in music
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cold — an illness
  14. capital — money
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mate — a friend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — a partner
  23. capital — a big letter
  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