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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — goods
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — a city
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — a box
  19. rock — a stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — a soup base

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