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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: game · rush · pit · bay · capital · hide · march · foot

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — a match
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — money
  24. game — wild animals

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