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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. capital — a city
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — steady
  9. root — of a plant
  10. firm — a company
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. capital — money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — music
  24. net — after costs

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