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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · rush · object · pit · bore · squash · kick · capital

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — the sport
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. object — an aim

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