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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — money
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a committee
  8. row — a line
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of a tree

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