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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: pitch · capital · racket · tear · craft · net · mouse · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. net — in sport
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. net — after costs
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. net — for catching
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. craft — a skill

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