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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · rest · bear · march · pit · temple

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. capital — money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. capital — a city
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — the month
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — a place of worship

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