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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. craft — a skill
  10. capital — money
  11. charge — in control
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — a container
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — boats
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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