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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stock — shares
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rest — what's left
  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