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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. clip — for paper
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. toast — bread
  17. capital — a city
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. capital — money
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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