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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.

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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: capital · stick · racket · pitcher · bear · toast · swing · leaves

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. capital — money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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