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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — a company
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. capital — money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. firm — decided
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a city
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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