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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — of water
  8. net — in sport
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — the season
  13. net — after costs
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — a permit
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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