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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: capital · stand · kick · temple · pit · chair · cell · can

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. capital — money
  23. cell — a phone
  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