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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. capital — a city
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. capital — money
  23. fine — all right
  24. deal — a big deal

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