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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · chair · racket · capital · leaves · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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