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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: nail · drill · pit · foot · stem · toast · kick · capital

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — a measure
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stem — to come from
  6. toast — bread
  7. pit — in a race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — army training
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. capital — money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pit — a hole

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