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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 · fork · bowl · lash · object · capital · pound · club

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. capital — money
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. object — a thing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a city
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. object — to protest
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. club — a group
  23. object — an aim
  24. bowl — a dish

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