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

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — a city
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — clothes
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. date — the fruit
  11. capital — money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rock — music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. suit — in cards
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

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