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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. arm — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. capital — money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — temperature
  20. key — in music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. degree — from a university
  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