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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 · capital · pit · face · kick · date · trunk · toast

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. toast — bread
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kick — in football
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — a city
  24. pit — in a race

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