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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. object — an aim
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — money
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — ground
  15. capital — a city
  16. bore — to tire
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — a thing
  23. pit — a hole
  24. object — to protest

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