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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — the fish
  4. capital — money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — army training
  24. capital — a big letter

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