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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: rush · pass · calf · pitcher · object · temple · mark · capital

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mark — a trace
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. rush — hurry
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. temple — a place of worship

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