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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ground — a position
  7. snap — to click
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — the earth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  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