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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cell — a phone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. calf — a young animal

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