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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · trunk · capital · deal · racket · wound · cabinet · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wound — an injury
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — to fit

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