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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. current — electric
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a city
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — the earth

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