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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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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: rash · cap · kick · pit · chair · sharp · roll · dip

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. roll — a list
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cap — a lid
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — a series
  19. kick — in football
  20. cap — a hat
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — to sink
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chair — a leader

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