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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pass — a permit
  11. court — for sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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