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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: craft · wave · foot · racket · pound · bore · chip · capital

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. capital — a city
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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