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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bass — low music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — child
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. capital — a city
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the sport
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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