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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: mouse · pit · mug · root · snap · kid · jam · capital

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. snap — to click
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. root — of a word
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — of a plant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a cup
  21. capital — money
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — to tease

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