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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. face — to confront
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pit — a hole
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — a series
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — in a race

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