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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: key · nail · racket · ground · object · mine · trunk · capital

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — a position
  24. capital — money

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