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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: game · craft · wake · squash · racket · object · capital · jam

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. object — an aim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. object — to protest
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — boats
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. object — a thing
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wake — a trail
  24. jam — a tight spot

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