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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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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: foot · mate · pit · stand · temple · charge · squash · capital

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mate — to breed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — in control
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pit — in a race
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. capital — a city
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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