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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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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 · capital · date · rule · kick · ground · cabinet · toast

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ground — the earth
  3. capital — money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ground — a position
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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