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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. capital — a city
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — a grade

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