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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: fine · can · squash · racket · coach · perch · track · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — money
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — a penalty

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