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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. capital — money
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — a company
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to confront
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — the fruit
  22. firm — decided
  23. rest — what's left
  24. roll — a list

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