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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. swing — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. squash — to crush
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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