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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. race — a contest
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. suit — clothes
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — to fit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. suit — in cards
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. court — for sport

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