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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: sharp · temple · rock · rule · jam · fall · pitch · capital

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rule — a law
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — clever
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — government
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. capital — money
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fall — the season

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