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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kick — in football
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spell — letters
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. capital — money
  18. kick — a thrill

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