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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. cap — a hat
  15. charge — electricity
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — of ice
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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