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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chest — of your body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — in cards
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. perch — the fish
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chest — a box
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — a group
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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