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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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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: racket · mate · land · rash · capital · stick · temple · calf

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — a series
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. land — a country
  12. mate — to breed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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