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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. foot — a measure
  4. capital — a city
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. capital — money
  24. bore — to drill

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