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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: pit · capital · temple · cell · chest · fan · fork · board

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chest — a box
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pit — in a race
  10. capital — money
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. board — a committee
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — a phone
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fan — a supporter

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