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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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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 · racket · ruler · squash · rest · deal · suit · hand

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hand — in cards
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — money
  11. rest — a break
  12. hand — help
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — in cards
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. capital — a city
  24. deal — to handle

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