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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a line
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — the most important part
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — in music
  14. kid — child
  15. capital — money
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — a city
  20. pit — in a race
  21. suit — in cards
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kick — a thrill

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