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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. capital — a city
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — money
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fan — a supporter

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