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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — in a race
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. march — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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