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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: capital · ball · firm · can · toast · track · net · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. track — a song
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ball — a dance
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. toast — bread
  24. track — to keep track

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