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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. capital — a city
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. pit — a hole
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — in football
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — obliged

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