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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: pass · capital · racket · object · chair · tube · leaves · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a leader
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. object — a thing
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. object — an aim
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. object — to protest
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — a container
  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