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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 · capital · cue · fork · racket · ground · dip · content

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — a city
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — a position
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. content — happy

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