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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: pitcher · stick · foot · racket · bear · leaves · capital · hand

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — the bottom

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