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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. capital — money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. game — wild animals
  9. capital — a city
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — a match
  24. capital — a big letter

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