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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 120 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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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: kid · game · safe · season · capital · rock · wave · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kid — child
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — money
  18. rock — a stone
  19. capital — a city
  20. kid — to tease
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. game — a match
  24. season — of the year

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