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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. field — farmland
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cue — a hint
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bank — of a river
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — for money
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — a line
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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