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

Word bank: deal · temple · nail · capital · kid · pit · band · kick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. 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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kid — child
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kick — in football
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. 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