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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — employees
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wake — a trail
  19. object — an aim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — a stick

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