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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a hole
  10. march — music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — in a race
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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