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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: nail · hide · capital · fine · racket · mouse · net · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. net — in sport
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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