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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a dance
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bound — certain
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — to recline
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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