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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · capital · mark · perch · ground · cue · racket · rash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — a tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ground — a position
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. capital — money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — a city
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cue — for pool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a signal

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