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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a hole
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a city
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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