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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: firm · clip · mouse · kick · field · racket · capital · fan

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. clip — a video
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — for sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. clip — to cut
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a city
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. capital — money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — for paper
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — decided
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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