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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — for pool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fork — in a road
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cap — a lid
  24. racket — for tennis

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