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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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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: capital · rule · racket · fine · present · bear · ground · mark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. ground — the earth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. capital — money
  9. ground — a position
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. present — the time now
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a city
  21. present — there
  22. rule — government
  23. present — a gift
  24. bear — the animal

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