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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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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — hasty
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — employees
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a city
  11. pit — in a race
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a hole
  17. march — music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. staff — a stick
  22. swing — music
  23. capital — money
  24. swing — to play on

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