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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — a city
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. swing — in golf
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — completely
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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