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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 120 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: firm · mouse · mine · racket · ball · pit · capital · staff

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — a company
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a city
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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