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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: racket · stick · stand · saw · capital · arm · mouse · hide

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. saw — the tool

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