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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: bound · tube · branch · sharp · capital · cue · calf · club

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — for golf
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  24. capital — a city

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