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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: pop · game · toast · bound · date · capital · object · calf

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — to protest
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — the fruit
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — to visit

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