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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stock — goods
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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