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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: pit · lash · cap · cue · ground · capital · stand · craft

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. capital — money
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — the earth
  14. capital — a city
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — a skill

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