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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — in sport
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — child
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. capital — money
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — of the year
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. fall — to drop

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