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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: cue · dip · capital · pit · racket · saw · present · object

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. object — a thing
  3. cue — a hint
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cue — a signal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. pit — a hole
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — for pool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — a city
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — there
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a big letter

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