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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: temple · wound · court · craft · mark · lie · capital · pit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — in a race
  13. capital — a city
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pit — a hole
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of a king
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a skill

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