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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mug — a cup
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — a hole
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a city
  24. scale — in music

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