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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · file · ground · pass · foot · wake · racket · capital

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ground — a position
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. capital — a city
  10. file — a document
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. foot — a measure
  16. file — a tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. capital — money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. 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