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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.

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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 ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. capital — a city
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pit — a hole
  24. capital — money

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