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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 · foot · capital · racket · drill · swing · firm · ball

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. firm — decided
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. firm — steady
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — a stone
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ball — a round shape

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