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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. capital — money
  5. cold — not warm
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a city

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