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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: roll · snap · capital · ground · deal · nail · pit · staff

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. deal — to handle
  12. capital — money
  13. staff — a stick
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. capital — a city
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. staff — employees

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