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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: toast · rock · kick · racket · capital · bore · can · mine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. toast — bread
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rock — music
  14. capital — money
  15. can — a tin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. capital — a city
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — the most admired

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