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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — happy
  3. chest — a box
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — the amount
  7. capital — a city
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. capital — money
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — a weight

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