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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: bass · temple · foot · deal · fall · capital · bat · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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