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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — size or range
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — in music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — a city

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