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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — a trainer

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