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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — to go on
  9. capital — a city
  10. band — a music group
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a ring
  23. last — final
  24. suit — clothes

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