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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: firm · pit · tear · capital · pass · jam · march · rock

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. capital — money
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — music

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