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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a grade
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. capital — a city
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — to get on
  18. capital — money
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — wild animals

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