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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — in music
  7. capital — money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pit — a hole
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — size or range
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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