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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: race · capital · racket · kick · ball · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — humankind
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — the sport
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. race — a contest
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a city
  18. racket — for tennis

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