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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 120 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: cue · bound · pit · pass · temple · mate · capital · nail

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — for pool

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