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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — a country
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — a company
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — steady
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — ground
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — to come down
  24. capital — money

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