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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 · dip · toast · chair · hide · rock · wake · capital

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. toast — bread
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rock — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. dip — to sink
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — a sauce

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