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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — money
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a city
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ground — a position
  17. court — of law
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wound — an injury
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ground — crushed

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