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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · fan · capital · fork · calf · mine · cabinet · hand

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. capital — money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. calf — a young animal

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