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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 116 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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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: root · racket · mark · pound · wave · calf · chair · capital

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. racket — for tennis
  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