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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 · firm · game · capital · net · hide · foot · wax

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — a measure
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — for catching
  20. game — a match
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. capital — money
  24. net — after costs

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