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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a music group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — money
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. band — a ring
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a city
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a hole

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