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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — a thrill

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