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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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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: hide · nail · swing · pound · cell · racket · capital · object

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. object — an aim
  6. capital — money
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pound — a weight

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