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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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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: racket · ball · wake · stick · fine · safe · wound · capital

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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