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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · can · tube · temple · swing · chest · track · band

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chest — a box
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — the underground
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — in golf
  10. capital — a city
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. band — a ring
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — to be able to

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