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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — moving air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. march — the month
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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