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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — all right
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — a subject
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — for sport

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