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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: roll · mark · capital · temple · rock · stick · arm · deal

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — a grade
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. roll — a cake
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a city
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. roll — on a roll

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