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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: nail · racket · bank · chest · capital · pit · kick · tube

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. capital — a city
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — a box
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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