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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: board · capital · pitcher · tear · rest · pit · arm · safe

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — a hole
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. board — a committee
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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