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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a city
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — soda
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — help
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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