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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — a city
  14. mug — a cup
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — ground
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — for spectators

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