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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · rock · pit · suit · clip · firm · rush · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. capital — money
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. suit — clothes
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rock — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — to cut
  24. firm — decided

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