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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: foot · date · temple · fall · suit · content · pit · capital

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. capital — money
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. content — happy
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — in a race
  15. suit — clothes
  16. date — the fruit
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. capital — a city
  24. pit — a hole

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