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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. court — of a king
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bank — of a river

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