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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a great time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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