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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — a city
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rock — music
  16. mug — a face
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — a supporter

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