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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — a loud noise

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