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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: kick · calf · straw · rash · pop · chair · bowl · capital

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. capital — a city
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. kick — in football
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. capital — money
  24. chair — a professorship

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