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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fall — the season
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — of a king
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — a contest
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — money
  23. court — of law
  24. chip — in a computer

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