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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 120 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: drill · capital · can · pit · ground · foot · wave · cap

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — army training
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. capital — money
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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