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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — a break
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — to bend
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of a king
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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