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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — finally
  9. rash — hasty
  10. capital — a city
  11. spring — the season
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. last — final
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — a hole

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