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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — in football
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — money
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — with a leg

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