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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — to go on
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — final
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stock — shares
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — money
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — finally
  24. rush — hurry

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