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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — a thing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pass — a permit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. capital — a city
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. capital — money
  19. swing — music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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