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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a city
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — a lid
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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