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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — in a race
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. board — a committee
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. band — a music group
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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