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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — an aim
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — to breed
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. capital — money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — a friend
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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