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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: kick · capital · key · arm · pit · fork · jam · bat

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kick — in football
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. key — in music

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