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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: temple · file · ruler · fan · capital · wind · squash · bass

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. file — a tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — money
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — side of the head

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