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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: capital · hand · kick · row · pit · racket · craft · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — boats
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hand — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — in football
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. hand — help
  17. capital — a city
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. craft — a skill
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — ministers

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