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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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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: suit · safe · kick · pit · capital · chip · drill · press

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. drill — army training
  4. capital — a city
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — in football
  10. press — a publisher
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — the tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. suit — clothes

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