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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 120 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 · bowl · plane · key · face · temple · board · racket

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — a committee
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. capital — money
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. plane — a tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — the most important part

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