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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 · temple · capital · toast · board · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. capital — money
  3. board — to get on
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — a city
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a hole
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — in a race
  16. toast — bread
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. toast — the most admired

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