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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: squash · craft · cell · suit · pit · kick · deal · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. capital — a city
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cell — a phone
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cell — in biology
  17. craft — boats
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. deal — to handle
  24. capital — money

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