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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — to rip
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — of a river
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — money
  24. toast — the most admired

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