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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: temple · race · capital · chair · foot · hand · deal · cabinet

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hand — help
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hand — part of the body

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