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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: temple · squash · chair · bound · board · capital · toast · stock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stock — shares
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stock — goods
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — tied together
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bound — certain
  21. capital — money
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — a city
  24. board — a committee

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