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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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468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — a hint
  5. capital — a city
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. net — in sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. key — in music
  22. capital — money
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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