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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: toast · pass · row · pit · temple · date · ruler · capital

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pass — a permit
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. toast — bread
  17. row — a line
  18. capital — money
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — the fruit

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