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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — a container
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — completely
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tube — the underground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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