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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — in music
  5. roll — a cake
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — for a lock
  8. shower — to wash
  9. court — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. capital — a city
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — a list
  20. court — of law
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of a king
  24. roll — on a roll

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