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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. foot — a measure

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