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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.

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: racket · drill · bear · capital · jam · trunk · fine · mouse

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. capital — a city
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. jam — a tight spot

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