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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: calf · scale · capital · rule · ground · bore · lean · suit

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — in music
  9. capital — a city
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ground — the earth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. calf — of the leg

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