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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. current — electric
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pit — in a race
  21. capital — money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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