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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: kick · rock · capital · bulb · arm · track · pit · lash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. rock — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. capital — a city
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — a stone

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