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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — bread
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. saw — the tool

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