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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: ball · rush · board · temple · club · chest · capital · bear

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chest — a box
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — for golf
  19. board — to get on
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a committee

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