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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a match
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bound — certain
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — a city
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — a loud noise

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