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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — money
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — a city
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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