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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: racket · capital · can · content · cabinet · ground · bear · track

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. content — happy
  9. capital — a city
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — to be able to
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — a song
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — money
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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