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

Word bank: chair · capital · kick · racket · foot · lean

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — a city
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — a leader
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — in football

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