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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. capital — a city
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — a break
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. charge — in control
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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