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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.

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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 · club · kick · capital · arm · bore · bear · fork

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. capital — a city
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for golf
  24. kick — in football

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