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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. capital — money
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. chest — a box
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — to be able to
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a trace
  22. plane — a tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chest — of your body

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