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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — a city
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — a penalty

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