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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — humankind
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — a country
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — in a race
  11. land — ground
  12. chest — of your body
  13. capital — money
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fine — high quality
  24. coach — a trainer

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