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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 to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — for catching
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rest — what's left

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