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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 120 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 · deal · game · drill · can · capital · mark · staff

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — money
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pit — in a race
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. drill — army training

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