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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — to breed
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a city
  13. ball — a dance
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — a hole
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — in cards
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ball — a round shape

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