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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — happening now
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. temple — side of the head

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