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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · deal · capital · rest · object · pit

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. capital — a city
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — to protest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — money
  16. object — an aim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — to handle

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