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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: file · bore · capital · race · temple · present

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — the arms race
  3. file — a tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. capital — a city
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — a contest
  10. bore — to drill
  11. capital — money
  12. race — humankind
  13. present — the time now
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a document
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — gave birth

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