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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pit — in a race
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. capital — a city
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — in football
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — help
  24. kick — with a leg

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