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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — a practice
  4. capital — a city
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — a country
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — ground
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. land — to come down
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. capital — money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — army training
  23. current — of water
  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