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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: pass · racket · capital · date · mouse · fall · hand · fine

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — the season
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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