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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. court — of a king
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a city
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — money
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — clothes
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a list
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. leaves — lets stay

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