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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 120 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: wave · capital · racket · ball · current · spell · wind · bay

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — money
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — electric
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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