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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a city
  5. kick — in football
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — a song
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a great time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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