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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hand — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — money

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