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

Word bank: temple · bowl · firm · capital · deal · jam · cell · chair

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — to handle
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. capital — money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — a phone
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chair — a leader
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — decided

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