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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — an amount
  4. capital — money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — from a university
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cabinet — ministers

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