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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 · bay · ball · capital · pound · stand · wind · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — money
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stand — to bear

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