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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pit — in a race
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cap — a hat
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fork — in a road
  22. capital — a city
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fork — a garden tool

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