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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pit · bass · track · net · mate · capital · fan · temple

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — for catching
  6. pit — in a race
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. track — a song
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. net — after costs
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — to keep track

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