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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: rock · saw · row · wound · racket · net · fine · capital

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. capital — a city
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. row — a line
  24. net — in sport

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