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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rash — hasty
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. capital — money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — a face

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