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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — boats
  3. capital — a city
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kid — child
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. capital — money

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