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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — a contest
  12. capital — a city
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — humankind
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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