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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — money
  12. kick — in football
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — to cool the air

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