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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — to tease
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — child
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — boats
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cap — a lid
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — of ice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a skill
  24. swing — to play on

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