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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pit — in a race
  13. capital — a city
  14. rash — a series
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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