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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — humankind
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — obliged
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mark — a grade
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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