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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. capital — a city
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pop — soda
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — a hole
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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