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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pit — a hole
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a city
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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